Announcement

**KvHagedorn** · 16 December 2003, 12:18

Hmm.. sounds like a lot of work in a very short time. I wonder if there are other sources that can tell us about the progress being made.. if you just got this in e-mail it is almost certainly BS, you know.

**Helevitia** · 16 December 2003, 12:25

Well, I know these 2 are true...

all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools

doctors' salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam

I don't know about 8 times, but I know they are much higher now then they were before the war.

Oh, and the email source is fairly reliable but who knows where he got it from.

Dave

**cjolley** · 16 December 2003, 12:27

Surely at this point something more than bullet points would be needed to describe conditions in Iraq.

Just as an example:
"Since May 1... nearly all of Iraq's 400 courts are functioning."

This could mean anything from "the doors are open" to "just laws and justice for all"

Iraq's courts haven't functioned in any sense we would recognise for 40 years.

Maybe they are past all that, but it's hard to imagine.
Chuck

**cjolley** · 16 December 2003, 12:28

Re: Anybody know if these are true statements re: Iraq?

Originally posted by Helevitia
...Since May 1... doctors' salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam.

This is a good thing?
chuck

**Dr Mordrid** · 16 December 2003, 12:40

CJ;

considering that under Saddam newly qualified doctors were only getting about $10-20/month, yes.

Dr. Mordrid

**cjolley** · 16 December 2003, 12:43

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
CJ;

considering that under Saddam newly qualified doctors were only getting about $10-20/month, yes.

Dr. Mordrid

$80 per month!? w00t!

Just kidding. I know what you mean.
Chuck

**Dr Mordrid** · 16 December 2003, 12:52

Re: Anybody know if these are true statements re: Iraq?

Originally posted by Helevitia

I received this via email yesterday, and although some of them I know are true, I am just wondering how much is really true, exaggerated, and just plain false.

This list was announced by Paul Bremer to the world press, which can check it against the facts and so far nothing's in dispute that I can find. If anything stuff like power generation levels etc. are even higher now.

It's also listed on the websites of most US embassies.

Dr. Mordrid

**Helevitia** · 16 December 2003, 12:55

Re: Re: Anybody know if these are true statements re: Iraq?

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
[/i]This list was announced by Paul Bremer to the world press, which can check it against the facts and so far nothing's in dispute that I can find. If anything stuff like power generation levels etc. are even higher now.

It's also listed on the websites of most US embassies.

Dr. Mordrid

ahh cool, thanks for the clarification.

Dave

**RedRed** · 16 December 2003, 13:43

I only know of a couple:

Since May 1... the first battalion of the new Iraqi Army has graduated and is on active duty*

TRUE,
BUT,
5 days ago, 400 of the 600 troops trained in the batallion resigned en-masse - poor pay and conditions cited. Bremmer commented on this on Friday.

Since May 1... over 60,000 Iraqis now provide security to their fellow citizens.

TRUE
BUT,
that includes police, and 'independent' security firms (hoods to you and me!), and 'protection NGO's pay for privately...

Since May 1... the Coalition has helped administer over 22 million vaccination doses to Iraq's children.

TRUE
BUT,
Almost that number of vaccines would have been administered during that period IF we hadnt had sanctions on Iraq.... Remember the demographic of the country means that they have (relatively) large numbers of children who havent had a vac in 10 years - that could technically be shots up to the age of, say, 12 (for BCG, right, Dr M?) - this means that the coalition is probably treading water in the vaccination stakes - there is a massive backlog....

Since May 1... Iraqi banks are making loans to finance businesses.

Not too sure obout this one - should Iraq spend ALL its oil production in paying back what other countries (particularly Kewait, France, Germany) owe it - it would take 13 YEARS of PRE WAR GDP. Its international assessets are currently frozen. Gnep could probably tell more....

Since May 1... the central bank is fully independent.

Completely false. But then no country in the world has a 'fully' independant central bank

Since May 1... Iraq has some of the world's most growth-oriented investment and banking laws.

er-..... read corrupt? We are talking about a regeime in the bank which has been there for 40 years! All those old bathists have not been replaced, you know....

Since May 1... Iraq has a single, unified currency for the first time in 15 years.

Completely FALSE.
Iraq had a single currency, however, the northern part (the Kurdish bit, which we annexed after Gulf War 1, remember?) printed their own kurdish currency. Central Iraqi currency was still good there.... (I know this for a fact, as one of my friends, a dietician, has just returned last weekenf form her fourth tour with a French NGO... )

RedRed

**GNEP** · 16 December 2003, 15:55

No idea I'm afraid on the finance situation in Iraq - don't even know whether they're following sharia (sp?) financing practices or western ones...

Might have a dig and find out what I can on the finance and the oil sides tomorrow (work in the wrong part of Shell to know what's really going on as I only see our downstream operations - and haven't seen any proposals yet for the building of a retail network...

)

**UtwigMU** · 16 December 2003, 17:44

As I heard, even the healthcare system is being privatized, so yes, we can believe the economy laws are very liberal there.

I think the reason for troops not being keen for serving in Iraqi army is that they may be considered as traitors by some and they don't want to stick their heads out.

Lot's of the attacks are directed at Iraqi military and police force.

**Brian R.** · 16 December 2003, 18:20

"Lot's of the attacks are directed at Iraqi military and police force."

Weeds out the weak ones. The ones that stick with it are either Bathist plants or hard asses.

**GT98** · 16 December 2003, 23:21

Originally posted by UtwigMU
As I heard, even the healthcare system is being privatized, so yes, we can believe the economy laws are very liberal there.

I think the reason for troops not being keen for serving in Iraqi army is that they may be considered as traitors by some and they don't want to stick their heads out.

Lot's of the attacks are directed at Iraqi military and police force.

Well the Police and Civil Defence forces are paid better then the new Iraqi Army Soliders....so if I was a solider I'd be pissed too. And you haven't heard any problems with them quitting en mass.

**RedRed** · 17 December 2003, 12:51

Just in case there was any doubt:

Herald Tribure

RedRed

Announcement

Anybody know if these are true statements re: Iraq?

Anybody know if these are true statements re: Iraq?

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